Cleveland OH Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather



[pic]

| |

Issue 14 Update 7

How much money is left? How much is needed?

September 5, 2013

Overview

It has been more than 12 years since Cleveland voters approved ballot Issue 14, authorizing their School District to issue bonds to repair and replace its aging and poorly maintained schools. Since then, the District has renovated or replaced 32 schools, with seven more under way. At least 21 more school projects are planned. There is no definite number of schools currently being planned. Until the CMSD goes through its Master Planning process, any statement about the number of schools to be built is conjecture. The Master Planning process will provide CMSD with the information it needs to make a thoughtful determination about how many schools will ultimately be built. That process will involve a significant number of neighborhood meetings that will help in updating the Master Olan, and the number of school projects will be informed by the public engagement process. Information gathered will be used by the Board of Education in determining its final recommendation for the Master Plan. Until this process is complete, it is wrong to state that the District is planning 21 buildings, and the statement could be misleading. Further, any assertion that CMSD is planning 21 buildings may lead some in the community to believe that a plan has already been determined by the District and that such a plan has been shared with the BAC. That is not the case.

But with the last of the authorized $335 million in bonds having been issued in 2010, these questions arise:

When will the Issue 14 money run out? How much more money will the Cleveland Municipal School District need to complete the facilities program?

The short answers: If the District sharply reduces its spending practices for repairs, it can complete Segment 6 of the 10-segment Facilities Master Plan before exhausting its bond-related resources. Completion of the final four segments (7-10) would then require, by the calculations in this report, authorization of $166.90 million in additional bonds. Since the number, size and timing of the future school projects is unknown, the cost of $166.90 million is speculative. Moreover, he BAC update, as drafted, does not identify any details regarding any of the presumed 21 projects.

An additional $44.7 million, for a grand total of $211.60 million, would be needed if during Segments 7-10 the District continued its practice of paying for current repairs and improvements of non-Master Plan schools with bond proceeds. Once again this number, $44.7 million for LFI repairs is a number created by the BAC and is not a District budget number.

(A November 2011 BAC report said the District could save money if it funded repairs through a continuing levy earmarked for that purpose rather than with bonds carrying interest charges. See

)

Without more revenue, the District will not be able to execute Segment 6 if it continues through 2015 its average pace of spending on repairs and improvements of schools not part of the Master Plan. (The Segment 6 Project Agreement with the state provides for three new K-8 schools (Buckeye-Woodland, Case and Glenville) and numerous demolitions.)

If the District continued spending bond-related proceeds on repairs and improvements at the rate of the last six years, about $7.45 million a year, the shortfall for the planned Segment 6 would be as much as $10.57 million without additional revenue, and the need for additional bond proceeds for the entire program would rise to $222.17 million. Any bond issue amount that is ultimately decided upon will be sized to fund the plan developed after the community engagement process is completed.

To balance the budget for Segment 6 while continuing bond-funded spending for repairs, the District would almost certainly have to eliminate the three planned K-8s. (A recent BAC report indicated that, based on enrollment, the new schools planned for Segment 6 would provide unneeded student capacity. See Master Plan Update 15 / Matching enrollment with PreK-8 construction at

)

In any case, the end is drawing near for Issue 14 money, and it is time to start assessing future needs. That process must include re-examination of the Master Plan, which is the basis for most costs and which the recent BAC report found ripe for reduction. In the meantime, it is instructive to understand what the cost likely would be under the current Plan.

Summary of findings

See Pages 5-15 for charts and illustrations

• Projected shortfall for Segment 6 under current practice of spending an average of 7.45 million a year in Locally Funded Initiative (LFI, not co-funded by the state) money on non-Master Plan repairs: $10.57 million. This presumes that a new West Side Relief High School and the demolition of Charles Mooney school will be deleted from Segment 5; otherwise the deficit would be greater. Continued accrual of interest on bond proceeds could slightly reduce the deficit.

• Projected need for additional bond authorization, Segments 7-10 only, with no LFI repair/improvement spending on non-Master Plan schools: $166.90 million. This presumes that a new West Side Relief High School and a new downtown K-12 will be part of Segment 8.

• Projected need for additional bond authorization, Segments 7-10 only, with continued average LFI repair/improvement spending of $7.45 million per year on non-Master Plan schools: $211.60 million. Assumes new West Side and downtown schools in Segment 8. The cost to build segments 7-10 is unknown at this time. Any suggestion as to what a final bond proceed number will be is conjecture at this point.

• Projected need for additional bond authorization, Segments 6-10, with continued average LFI repair/improvement spending on non-Master Plan schools: $222.17 million; without LFI repair spending after Segment 6, $177.47 million. Assumes new West Side and downtown schools in Segment 8. Additional interest earnings beyond conservative estimates used here, or other additional revenue, could reduce the needed bond authorization.

• Even with the additional $222.17 million indicated immediately above, the District would have no bond funding for capital repairs/improvements after 2021 under this projection.

• If the School District reduced its Master Plan for Segment 6-9 construction, the need for additional funding would decline.

• The District in May 2009 envisioned its share of costs through Segment 7 at $403.3 million. This analysis shows that the District’s costs through a revised and less expensive Segment 6, with the West Side Relief High deleted from Segment 5, are likely to total $410.87 million. That CMSD projection did not provide adequately for inflation, for the “historic overrun factor” included here, and for heavy LFI spending on non-Master Plan schools.

Details

Basic costs

This assessment of funding needs is based on the following cost and budget data (See Page 14):

• Actual co-funded local-share costs for Segments 1-4 as reported by the CMSD Finance Department (7/31/13).

• Local share (0.32 percent) of co-funded Segment 5 and 6 K-8 costs projected by Construction Manager (8/8/13).

• Local share of co-funded Segment 5 high school costs based on information provided by Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC), Construction Manager at Risk contracts. The assumed costs in the report for High Schools is based on the Guaranteed Maximum Price contracts. However, each project has the potential to return money back to the District based on bid day savings, unspent allowances and unused contingency.

• Local-share costs for Segments 6-10 calculated from budget provided by Ohio School Facilities Commission (OSFC) in 2010 and denominated in 2010 dollars.

• (Certain budgeted projects were deleted from Segment 5 based on belief that they will not be executed or will be postponed. Among those, the “West Side Relief” high school was arbitrarily reallocated to Segment 8 for this analysis.)

• Actual costs for Segment 4’s Thomas Jefferson K-12, adjusted for inflation, are used as a proxy for a downtown K-12 school suggested by the Board of Education. The downtown K-12 also was arbitrarily assigned to Segment 8 for this analysis. While Thomas Jefferson may provide a model for projecting costs for a downtown school, the location, size and grade composition of the school are unknown. It is also unknown whether a downtown school would be co-funded by the OFCC; hence, any estimates on costs for a downtown school are purely speculative.

• LFI expenditures and encumbrances as reported by the CMSD Finance Department for all District schools through 5/31/13.

• OFCC-provided estimates of LFI costs for Segment 5 high school items not co-funded by the state.

• Board of Education-approved LFI summer repair/improvement costs for 2013.

• BAC pro forma provision for $400,000 in LFI items per K-8 project, $1.6 million for West Side High, $3.3 million for Glenville High in Segments 6-9 (Segment 10 is all demolitions), plus inflation adjustments.

• BAC pro forma provision for $7.45 million per year in LFI spending on repairs and improvements (approximate annual average for 2007-2012) for years 2014 through 2021.

• LFI spending classified as “Miscellaneous” by the CMSD Finance Department, which includes capital projects staff costs and legal costs, at $1,044,950 per year, 2013 through 2023, plus inflation adjustments.

• No cost provision was made for real estate purchases. However, no revenue provision was made for future sales or trades of District property that should arise as various schools are no longer needed.

Budget enhancements

• Comparison of OSFC original budgets with the District’s actual costs for Segment 1-4 new K-8 schools shows that a realistic prediction of future costs based on OSFC budgets would require adjustments for construction cost inflation and for the CMSD’s historic exceedance of even inflation-adjusted budgets. (See Pages 5-13). Despite the fact that past OFCC budgets have historically been less that the actual cost of construction in Cleveland, the OFCC will not allow the District to deviate from those budgets. The bond issue will therefore need to be sized to reflect budget history of the construction program.

• Construction cost inflation for co-funded costs in Segments 6-10 was calculated at an average annual rate of 3.188 percent, compounded, according to the number of years between establishment of the budget and the expected contract award. The rate is the average annual rate of change in the Turner Building Cost Index from 1996 to present. (The Segment 1 budget was set in 2002; Segment 2 in 2003; Segment 3, 2005; Segment 4, 2006.)

• The co-funded budgets were also multiplied by a “historic overrun factor” of 9.3 percent, not compounded. This is the average percentage by which these Segment 1-4 costs exceeded inflation-adjusted original budgets. (Page 13.)

• The pro forma provision for school project LFI and “Miscellaneous” LFI in Segments 6-9 was enhanced at a rate of 3.188 percent, compounded, at two years per segment. Three years was allotted for “Miscellaneous” LFI for Segment 10 to provide for an extra year for administrative clearance of projects. The Turner Building Index may be appropriate to use. However, since we are funded by the OFCC, it is more appropriate to use their inflationary information.

• The LFI provision for repairs and improvements at $7.45 million per year was not enhanced for inflation, as the amount actually spent in a given year is arbitrary and in fact the need for non-Master Plan repairs should decrease from segment to segment as more old schools are replaced or closed.

Revenue

Available funds were determined as follows (See Page 15):

• Issue 14 bond proceeds and premiums, earned interest and non-bond proceeds, such as property sale proceeds and federal “ERATE” reimbursements for certain technology costs, as reported by the CMSD Finance Department (7/31/13) for Segments 1-6. No provision has been made for receipt of any future ERATE technology reimbursements.

• CMSD says that ERATE reimbursements have totaled $3.7 million and have been deposited in the construction/repair fund. This compares with total eligibility for up to $13 million in ERATE reimbursements, as previously reported by District officials. The $13 million includes $6.4 million for 11 Segment 3 and 4 schools covered by technology contracts awarded to Doan Pyramid at a special Board meeting called in January 2008 for the purpose of meeting an ERATE application deadline. The BAC has requested information from CMSD about the fate of the remaining $9.3 million in potential ERATE reimbursements, which would have a significant impact on funding needs for the construction program.

• Interest earnings on bond proceeds earmarked for Segments 5 and 6 will likely grow before the segments are concluded, but the extent of such growth is unknown and no provision for it has been made.

• Only nominal provisions for interest earnings have been made for Segments 7-10, based on the bond amounts needed for each segment’s construction and miscellaneous LFI (but not repair/improvement LFI) and the rate of interest earnings to date on bond proceeds earmarked for Segment 5.

• “Other” proceeds of $4.66 million, proceeds from the sale of the District headquarters that were earmarked by the Board of Education for a possible downtown K-12 school, are arbitrarily assigned to Segment 8.

• No revenue provision was made for sale or trade of property from numerous demolished schools.

CMSD construction costs analysis

Purpose:

• To determine a “historic overrun factor” by which current budgets for Segments 6-10 can be multiplied – in addition to an inflation adjustment -- in order to develop a realistic assessment of CMSD need for additional cash to complete those segments.

Methodology

• Actual co-funded original budgets for new K-8 schools in Segments 1-5 were used in the analysis. Renovations, high schools and K-12 schools were excluded, because they are a rarity and would skew the data on costs per square foot. Locally Funded Initiative (LFI) spending for “extras,” which can vary widely from school to school, also was excluded.

• School projects were categorized according to the year in which the General Trades contract was awarded.

• The actual budgets were then adjusted upward to account for inflation at the rate of 3.188 percent per year, compounded, which is the average annual rate reflected by the Turner Building Cost Index over the years 1996 to present. According to Turner Construction Co., the “Index is determined by the following factors considered on a nationwide basis: labor rates and productivity, material prices and the competitive condition of the marketplace.”

• For all but one of the construction-start years, CMSD’s actual construction costs exceeded inflation-adjusted budgets. The aggregate percentage difference between the two for all construction starts from 2004 through 2012 was 9.3 percent, which we therefore chose as a multiplier for inflation-adjusted OSFC budgets to determine likely costs.

• Charts below illustrate these calculations, followed by charts showing calculations of CMSD need for additional funding to complete its Facilities Master Plan.

Conclusion

• Based on past experience, application of a “historic overrun factor” of 1.093 to inflation-adjusted original budgets is likely to provide a reasonable estimate of project costs for Segments 7-10. One could argue that CMSD should adhere to the Project Agreement budgets negotiated with the OSFC, but this study seeks to determine as accurately as possible how much money WILL be needed, as opposed to how much money SHOULD be needed.

• Considering Construction Manager and OFCC cost projections, and after adjustments for inflation and customary overruns, CMSD’s funding need to complete the entire 10-segment Master Plan is estimated to be $166.90 million to $222.17 million, depending on whether the District continues to fund repairs/improvements of non-Master Plan schools with construction bond proceeds.

[pic]

• The cost of schools begun in 2004 was multiplied by a factor to make the cost equal the Turner Building Index average for that year. The cost of projects begun in all other years was multiplied by the same factor. Chart indicates that CMSD costs did not climb as fast as the national average through 2008. However, equalized projected costs for Segment 5 (2012) slightly exceed the Index level.

[pic]

• Costs (blue column) were attributed to year of general-trades contract start. Segment 1 contracts started in 2004 and 2005, for example; Segment 2 contracts started in 2005 and 2006, etc.

• Although the Segment 5 Project Agreement was approved in 2008, no construction contracts were awarded until 2012, after a long “Transformation Plan” process.

• Segments 1-4 were budgeted in 2003 dollars and Segment 5 in 2008 dollars.

[pic]

• With the inflation adjustment, costs significantly exceeded the original budget in Segments 1-3, but only slightly in Segment 4 (2009), for which bidding was delayed a year for “value engineering” and which may have benefited from the start of the Great Recession. In Segment 5 (2012), for which the budget was set in 2008, before the Great Recession reduced costs, the inflation-adjusted original budget is slightly more than projected costs.

• For purposes of long-term averaging, an inflation adjustment was added for Segment 5 (2012), even though the Turner Building Index declined in the four years since the budget was set, because our inflation factor was derived from the Turner Index for all years 1996-2013.

[pic]

• Adjustments to the original budget for both inflation and a “historic overrun factor” still result in budget overruns for years 2004 through 2008, but make spending less than the adjusted budget for work started in 2009 and 2012. Overall, adjustments for inflation and the historic overrun factor make aggregate spending match the aggregate budget.

[pic]

CMSD historical new K-8 construction costs vs. original budgets

| |Hard cost |soft cost |co-funded cost |

|Co-funded local share of $ spent Segs. 1-4 | $ 187,874,721 |CMSD Finance Dept. Summary 7/31/13 | | | |

|Co-funded local share of $ encumbered Segs. 1-4 | $ 351,844 |CMSD Finance Dept. Summary 7/31/13 | | | |

|Segment 5 projected co-funded local share | $ 61,044,425 |BAC analysis of OHG report for July 2013 (less W.Side High and Mooney projects), OFCC data on high schools |

|Segment 5 estimated LFI for high schools, ’13 WSD | $ 27,272,271 |Information provided by OFCCC; BOE-approved 2013 repair projects | |

|Segment 6 estimated co-funded share | $ 16,770,214 |BAC analysis of OHG report for July 2013 (less sold Landis) |

|Segment 6 estimated LFI for schools and repairs | $ 18,189,900 |BAC est. $400,000 per K-8, 2 times $7.45 million (6-year ave.) for repairs, "Misc." at 2 times 1,044,950 (2012 cost), thru 2015 |

|Segment 6 inflation adjustment | $ 213,108 |BAC calculation: LFI non-repair & Misc. times 0.03188^2, through 2014 | | | |

|All other LFI expenditures as of 1/31/13 | $ 93,979,992 |CMSD Finance Dept. Summary 5/31/13 | | | |

|All other LFI encumbrances as of 1/31/13 | $ 5,177,481 |CMSD Finance Dept. Summary 5/31/13 | | | |

|Segment 7 budgeted co-funded share | $ 35,168,397 |Local share @ 0.32 of 2010 Master Plan budget (less closed deSauze) | | | |

|(Each segment’s co-funded analysis should describe which projects are | | | | | |

|included.) | | | | | |

|Segment 7 "historic overrun factor" | $ 3,270,661 |Co-funded share times 0.093 | | | | |

|Segment 7 local share inflation adjustment | $ 7,964,139 |Market-adjusted local share times 1.03188^6, through 2016 | |

|Segment 7 estimated LFI without repairs etc. | $ 4,889,900 |BAC calculation @ $400,000 per K-8 (less closed deSauze), plus $1,044,950 at 2 years/segment for "Misc." |

|Segment 7 LFI w/out repairs inflation @ 3.188%/yr. | $ 654,017 |At two years per segment (times 1.03188^4, through 2017) | | | | |

|Segment 7 LFI repairs/improvements | $ 14,900,000 |BAC calculation, $7,450,000/yr @ 2 years, using average annual LFI $ for 2007-12 |

|Segment 8 estimated co-funded share | $ 22,554,069 |0.32 of 2010 budget (no Giddings), plus OHG 2010 est. for W.Side High, Jefferson proxy for downtown K-12 X 1.03188 (actual 2009) |

|Segment 8 "historic overrun factor" | $ 918,211 |Co-funded share times 0.093 | | | | |

|Segment 8 local share inflation adjustment | $ 6,698,660 |Market-adjusted local share at 3.188% inflation compounded for every year past 2010 budget year, through 2018 | |

|Segment 8 estimated LFI without repairs etc. | $ 5,169,917 |$400,000/K-8, $1,044,950/year(2) for Misc., $1.6 million for W.Side HS, Jefferson. proxy for downtown K-12 (‘09 actual X 1.03188) |

|Segment 8 LFI w/out repairs inflation @ 3.188%/yr. | $ 1,071,149 |At two years per segment (times 1.03188^6, through 2019) | | | | |

|Segment 8 LFI repairs/improvements | $ 14,900,000 |BAC calculation, $7,450,000/yr for 2 years, using average annual LFI $ for 2007-12 |

|Segment 9 estimated co-funded share | $ 43,244,937 |0.32 of 2010 Master Plan budget | | | | |

|Segment 9 "historic overrun factor" | $ 4,021,779 |Co-funded share times 0.093 | | | | |

|Segment 9 local share inflation adjustment | $ 17,424,808 |Market-adjusted local share times 1.03188^10, through 2020 | |

|Segment 9 estimated LFI without repairs etc. | $ 8,189,900 |BAC calculation @ $400,000 per K-8, $3.3 million For Glenville HS, plus $1,044,950 at 2 years/segment for "Misc." |

|Segment 9 LFI w/out repairs inflation @ 3.188%/ yr. | $ 2,337,283 |At two years per segment (times 1.03188^8, through 2021) | | | | |

|Segment 9 LFI repairs/improvements | $ 14,900,000 |BAC calculation, $7,450,000/yr for 2 years, using average annual LFI $ for 2007-12 |

|Segment 10 estimated co-funded share | $ 5,988,979 |0.32 of 2010 Master Plan budget, less sold Woodland Hills, Orr, Roth | | | | |

|Segment 10 "historic overrun factor" | $ 556,975 |Co-funded share times 0.093 | | | | |

|Segment 10 local share inflation adjustment | $ 2,993,495 |Market-adjusted local share at 3.188% inflation compounded for every year(times 3.103188^12) past 2010 budget year, through 2022 | |

|Segment 10 estimated LFI without repairs etc. | $ 3,134,850 |$1,044,950 (2012 cost) at 2 years/segment for "Misc.", plus extra year for closeout, property disposal | | |

|Segment 10 LFI w/out repairs inflation @ 3.188%/yr. | $ 1,292,439 |At two years per segment (times 1.03188^3 with extra year for closeout, property disposal), through 2023 | | | | |

|Segment 10 LFI repairs/improvements repairs | $ - |Segment is demolition of almost all schools not replaced, so no WSD budget beyond 2021 |

| Total Actual & Estimated Program Local Costs | $ 633,118,522 | | | | | | |

|Local revenue estimate, Cleveland school construction and repair program, 2002 -- 2022 | | | |

|Bond proceeds / premiums | $ 351,539,118 |CMSD Finance Dept. Summary 7/31/13 | | | |

|Other revenue (property sales, etc.) | $ 10,677,046 |CMSD Finance Dept. Summary 7/31/13 | | | |

|Interest on local match | $ 38,086,650 |CMSD Finance Dept. Summary 7/31/13 | | | |

|Segment 7-10 other revenue | $ 4,661,300 |Earmarked HQ sales proceeds (by BOE, for downtown K-12), allocated pro forma to Segment 8 | |

|Segment 7-10 interest estimate | $ 5,987,605 |Rough estimate based on interest for Segment 5 local share and assuming funding of segments from new bond issues |

|(The inclusion of interest in future segments will require a statutory | | |

|change.) | | |

|Segment 7-10 new bond proceeds / premiums | $ - |None until voters approve additional bond issuance authority | | |

|Total estimated available | $ 410,951,719 | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | | |

|Net (deficit) Segments 1-10 |$(222,166,802) |Total revenue available, less grand total actual & estimated program local costs | | |

|Net (deficit) less Seg. 7-10 LFI WSD repairs |$(177,466,802) |Same as above except District finds a new way, other than bonds, to fund capital repair and renewal expenses |

| | | | | | | | |

|Breakdown of funds availability/need for current, future segments | | | | | |

|Segment 1-6 total revenue | $ 400,302,815 |CMSD Finance Dept. Summary 7/31/13 | | | |

|Segment 1-6 actual and estimated costs | $ 410,873,956 |CMSD Finance Dept. Summary 7/31/13 & BAC analysis of OHG cost report Aug. 7, 2013, OFCC cost data |

|Segment 1-6 surplus / (deficit) | $ (10,571,141) |Segment 1-6 total revenue less Segment 1-6 actual and estimated costs | | |

| | | | | | | | |

|Segment 7-10 available funds estimate | $ 10,648,905 |HQ sales proceeds for downtown K-12, allocated to Seg. 8, plus interest estimate predicated on new bond issues |

|Segment 7-10 estimated costs | $ 222,244,566 |0.32 of Master Plan budget plus BAC est. of project LFI, WSD repair LFI, all adjusted for inflation past Segment 5 |

|Net Segment 7-10 surplus / (deficit) estimate | (211,595,661) |Segment 7-10 available funds estimate less Segment 7-10 estimated costs | | |

|(Net deficit) Segment 7-10 less LFI WSD repairs | (166,895,661) |Same as above except estimated cost of Warm Safe Dry repairs are removed | | |

| | | | | | | | |

|Even with West Side High and Mooney cut from Segment 5, Issue 14 etc. funds may be $10.57 million short of Seg. 6 needs without budget cuts or more revenue |

| | | | | | | | |

|District had once envisioned Issue 14 funds as sufficient to complete Seg. 7, but even with several projects dropped from Segment 5, | |

|the kitty has been drained by budget overruns and spending Issue 14 on "Warm Safe Dry" repairs and improvements since 2008 | | | |

| | | | | | | | |

|Calculated need for $222.17 million more in revenue presumes that District continues spending ave. $7.45 million per year on LFI repairs/improvements |

| |

|not co-funded by state through 2021 and builds West Side High and new downtown K-12 during Segment 8 |

| |

| | | | | | | | |

|If District finds another way to fund LFI repairs/improvements after 2015, additional funds need falls to $177.47 million | |

| | | | | | | | |

|Even with the indicated additional $222.17 million, District would have no bond funding for capital repairs/renewals after 2021 under this scenario | | |

| | | | | | | | |

|No cost provision was made for future real estate purchases. No revenue provision was made for future sale or trade of District property. | | |

| | | |

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download